Hi all, and Happy New Year - although of course most Buddhist traditions follow a lunar-based calendar and will not be celebrating New Years until either January 23rd (for those that follow the Chinese New Year) or February 22nd (Losar, or Tibetan New Year.) Either way it will be the year of the Water Dragon, and I will write an article on the meaning of that closer to the start date.

To learn the dates of other major Buddhist holidays in 2012, check the following article:

2012 Buddhist Holidays:

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art46943.asp

And as promised, I have also posted an article on The Heart Sutra, one of the most well-known Buddhist teachings. Brief and direct, the Heart Sutra outlines the path to prajna-paramita, or perfect wisdom, which might be understood as a direct knowledge of reality without mental modifications.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art174548.asp

I will close with an English translation of the mantra included at the end of the Heart Sutra:

Gone,
gone,
gone over,
gone fully over.
Awakened!
So be it!

May it be so for you in 2012.

In Peace,
Lisa Erickson
Buddhism Editor - http://buddhism.bellaonline.com
Blog - http://www.MommyMystic.com
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